The present invention is in the general field of multiple photoflash lamp arrays, such as flashcubes and planar arrays, adapted to be temporarily attached to a camera capable of producing a plurality of flashes for taking a plurality of pictures. A known flash lamp unit of this type utilizes an arrangement of two rows of four lamps, one above the other, with the individual flash lamps being electrically connected in such a way that fires the upper group of four lamps. By turning said arrangement 180.degree. and reinserting a second electrical connector for the circuitboard member of the flash lamp unit into the flash lamp socket, the remaining group of four flash lamps can be ignited and such an arrangement eliminates or reduces the undesirable "red eye" effect. This type photoflash unit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,946, K. H. Weber, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Suitable static solid switching devices for use in a flash lamp unit of this type are also known. As previously indicated, each switch is activated by the radiant energy generated during flashing of the flash lamp located adjacent thereto to convert such switch from a high electrical resistance ("off" condition) by undergoing chemical reaction to a conductive state ("on" condition) of low electrical resistance. These switches are suitably interconnected in the flash-sequencing circuit employed in the photoflash unit to provide a low resistance circuit path to another unflashed lamp. A solid static switch which operates in this manner is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,833, Holub et al, and simply comprises a mass of a composition comprising silver oxide, a carbon-containing silver salt and a humidity resistant organic polymer binder. A static solid switching device of this same type but exhibiting greater humidity resistance at above normal ambient temperatures is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,832, Smialek et al, which features a particular stabilizer additive to preclude or reduce tendency of the silver source in the switch material from premature conversion to a low electrical resistance when exposed to ambient humidity conditions. In the preferred embodiments of both said disclosed flash lamp units, the specific switching arrangement comprises a pair of flash lamps, an electrical circuit into which said lamps are arranged to flash individually and in sequence, and a solid state radiation enery switch device being located adjacent one of said flash lamps and forming part of the electrical circuit, with each said switching device being located adjacent one of said flash lamps and disposed to receive radiant energy emitted by that flash lamp. The preferred switching device itself comprises a mass of the switch material being interconnected to a pair of spaced apart electrical terminals in the electrical circuit.